Useful Tips for the Used Press Buyer

Meet the Press

Prince: Never buy a press ‘sight unseen.’ It’s hard to believe that someone would, but I’ve seen it happen. I also have seen a buyer who saw a press taken apart in a warehouse, and went ahead and bought it.

Test the Press

Sarantakos: Run test sheets and be on site for the test run, if possible. The GATF print test sheet is a standard, but you can develop your own with specific colors and images that are important to your operation. Red flags are slur, doubling, excessive dot gain and inconsistent color. Remember that there are many causes for these issues and they may not be press related, but rather [due to] a poorly set up press or a sloppy operator. Talk to the press person off to the side. He or she will tell you far more than anyone else about the machine.